At Long Last
by AJrax The Author
Summary: Three months have passed since Goku defeated Majin Buu, and once again, Vegeta has challenged Goku to a one-on-one duel, claiming he can finally beat him and become "number one". Why has the Prince of Saiyans regained his want to best Goku, even after he admitted that he was the best? Could it be... Vegeta has reached a new level of power? (One-Shot) (Slight AU)


DRAGONBALL Z

AT LONG LAST

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Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based fanfiction. DragonBall, DragonBall Z, and DragonBall GT are all owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Akira Toriyama. Please support the official release.

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The air was crisp in the Gizard Wasteland as wind blew smoothly through the atmosphere. It seemed that the entire landscape was prepared for an epic battle to take place, and it would not be the first time either. Many years ago, one of the most furious battles of warriors took place in this very land. It was between an alien warrior, the Prince Of All Saiyans, Vegeta, and the Earth's defender, the Saiyan rechristened as an Earthling, Goku, or as Vegeta refers to him, Kakarot. This was the first encounter between the two that would trigger a lasting rivalry between the two, mostly for Vegeta, who suffered his greatest loss to Goku on that day. Ever since then, Vegeta had pushed himself to become stronger, the strongest of all Saiyans, so that he would not be outdone by a low-class Saiyan reject in Goku. He drove himself past his limits, enduring various obstacles, including sacrificing his own mind and body to have enough power to defeat Goku once and for all. That battle took place in an area very similar to the very place they first had a duel, the Gizard Wasteland, and it was all too familiar as the two Saiyan warriors had a bout that outshined that fight by tenfold. Vegeta poured his then evil, black heart out to defeat Goku for sure, but in the end, he still could not do it. Later in time, as the two combined their strength to take on the seemingly unstoppable Majin Buu, Vegeta would come to realize, finally, that Goku was his better. Vegeta's obsession of surpassing Goku then ceased. That is, until now, three months after that battle...

The crisp air grew even more crisp as two beings suddenly appeared in the vicinity after speeding through the air and stopping to a halt as they floated nearly twenty feet above the ground. Slowly but surely, the two beings floated downwards towards two long pillars that stood out among the rest of the rocks and stone structures aloof in the Gizard Wasteland. One man stood on the taller pillar, even though the man on the shorter pillar was much taller than him, by at least one full head; it made sense consider the shorter man was feeling "high and mighty" at the moment compared to his accomplice.

"So, this is the place. I have to admit, Vegeta, this brings back memories," the taller man said, the wind blowing creases in his bright orange gi, along making the small brown pouch that was attached to his blue belt sway, as he looked up to his rival with a confident smirk.

"I agree, Kakarot. I remember saying to you that was a perfect place to mark your grave. It may not be that way now, but it will still be a place where you will feel my new power!" Vegeta proclaimed, his arms crossed and his usually stoic face alive with excitement, as the wind made his long flamed hair sway to and fro.

Goku and Vegeta stared down each other for a few moments, as they did so many years ago. Goku was, of course, excited to have a bout with his rival and, at this point, his friend, but interesting enough, he did not exactly know why. The only reason that he was here in the first place was that a few hours earlier, Vegeta visited Goku in at his home, where he was enjoying some off time with his family. Vegeta seemed hurried and overexhurberent, an attitude that the Saiyan prince did not show often, as he asked, or more likely ordered "Kakarot" to follow him into the wastelands and fight him. Goku had no objection of course, albeit his wife Chi-Chi did, nagging Vegeta about taking up her husband's time with more pointless fighting. The Prince ignored the Earthling woman as both he and Goku sped off, with Goku promising Chi-Chi that he would back soon.

"I hope you're ready for this. I have waited some time to able to fight you like this once more," Vegeta said, his brow furrowed.

"What does that mean?" Goku asked, puzzled.

"It means that the reason I have called you back to this place, the place where we fought for the first time in what seems like eons ago... is because I have reached a new level of power, and I want to show it you in full form! So I can finally defeat you!"

"Defeat me? New power?" Goku could not help but let his excitement grow inside, though he also grew more confused. "Well, okay, I get it. You must be pumped after some real good training, I guess. It's been a long time since we've fought seriously too, huh?"

"That's right. And this is as serious as it can be..." Vegeta said, his voice deepening to a more mysterious tone as he ended his sentence. "Now, then Kakarot, transform!" Vegeta commanded. "Transform into your strongest Super Saiyan form, starting from first and ending with Super Saiyan 3!"

"Huh? You want me to transform? Well, that was unexpected," Goku replied. "I mean, why do you need me to-"

"Just do it!" Vegeta barked, his impatience clearly thinning. Goku was about to once again speak against him, but noticed the fire in his eyes. And for whatever reason, he felt complied to do as he said.

"Alright then, here we go," Goku said, gathering his energy. His body became surrounded by a light yellow aura as his palm tree like hair began to swirl and change. With a quick burst of energy, his aura glowed alive and became much brighter, and his black hair was now a golden blonde. Even his cobalt black eyes had turned a solid emerald-green.

"First we have a normal Super Saiyan transformation," He said, a smile on his face. Goku quickly thought back to how he showed his Super Saiyan forms to Majin Buu upon their first meeting as the golden aura around him grew in both size and power, and even little lightning bolts began to mix in with his aura; his hair also began even spiker, with a single large lock falling on the right side of his face.

"Now, I'm at Super Saiyan 2," Goku proclaimed, his tone a bit more serious. "Finally..." Goku added, now stancing himself on the pillar. He let out a slow yet powerful ki ai as he charged up more energy, his aura and lightning now grew to even greater size. With a lasting boom of force, his hair was now at its spikiest and was grown long enough to go over Goku's back and almost touch the ground below him. His eyebrows had noticable dis appeared as well, and his expression was almost as stoic as the Saiyan prince before him.

"Well. I'm at full power now. Super Saiyan 3. my strongest form."

"Haha, fantastic!" Vegeta exclaimed, a wide grin on his face.

"Man, you're really acting strange today Vegeta. I've never seen you this happy about anything," Goku asked, this stoic tone heightened due to his uncertainty.

"Well, there is a very good reason for that, Kakarot," Vegeta answered. "You see, after our battle against Majin Buu, I admitted to myself that you were my better."

"Oh really? That's surprising to hear," Goku replied, raising an eyebrow, or at least he would if he had one at the moment. This truly was the first time he had heard Vegeta tell him to his face of this revelation. "You really believe that I'm better than you now."

Vegeta refrained from answering at first, closely his eyes and lamenting the past. "When I watched you.." he said slowly, remember the words he spoke in his mind on that day...

_- Goku & Vegeta VS Majin Buu, 3 Months Ago -_

On the far off planet belong to that of the Supreme Kai, a short pink alien-like monster, the truest and most evil incarnation of Majin Buu, was battling Super Saiyan 3 Goku high above the planet's ground level. Buu and Goku had no love lost between themselves; their punches and kicks were like rapid fire machine guns, constantly shooting at one another, on a level that had never been seen before. Vegeta was merely watching down below, already battered and bruised from his last encounter with the beast known as Buu. As he watched on, his thoughts gravitated from the aching he felt in his body to the spectacle he was viewing.

As he rummaged through his thoughts and his memory banks, he remembered all the battles that he and Goku had been in together and separately, battles with Frieza, the androids, and many more. Vegeta was even able to grin at this realization, watching as his rival continued to battle with Buu high in the air, going so far as to start biting each other to force the other into submission. Vegeta was still able to keep his grin at this, as he too yearned to join the battle soon, and aid his rival, or rather... his comrade, his friend, and his superior.

_- Back To Present Day -_

"When I watched you... I came to grips with my pride, swallowed it whole, and finally understood the long gap that is between us... That is, however, until today!" Vegeta's eyes shot open, now alive with a new intensity. "Because now, Kakarot, I have finally caught onto your level! I have reached a new level of Super Saiyan!"

"A new level of Super Saiyan... you don't mean..." Goku said, mouth hanging open a little bit.

"Yes, that's right! Now watch closely." Vegeta unhooked his arms and loaded them at this side, as he began to gather his own energy. Slowly exhaling and yelling out as the yellow aura began to cascade on the short warrior, his form changed just as his rival did not a few moments ago. His flame like hair then began to change as it too turned blonde, and Vegeta's cobalt eyes changed to a light green. Goku glanced at his first form for a mere few seconds before Vegeta powered up even further, his hair growing a little spikier, and his aura now sharing the same lighting sparks as Goku had in his current form.

"And now... to show you, and the world... a Super Saiyan among Super Saiyans! Behold!" Vegeta boasted. Crouching lower in his stance, he yelled out with all his might as his aura and his energy level spiked significantly, even enough for Goku to slightly flinch at the massive overload of power that was radiating from his very core. In one last charging of ki, accompanied by a final battle cry, Vegeta stood before Goku a new man, a brand new warrior. He once again stood up straight and had his arms crossed in front of him, just like before. However, this Vegeta was far different; his hair, his eyes, his face, and even his aura, now all resembled Goku's. Vegeta, for the first time, had transformed into a Super Saiyan 3!

"Well, I have to say, I knew you'd become a Super Saiyan 3 one day. I've been looking forward to fighting you in this form for a very long time," Goku admitted, finally absorbing the full event before him.

"As have I Kakarot," Vegeta replied, as Goku's excitement now had returned full force, and it definitely showed through his voice, despite its melancholic tone.

"Two Super Saiyan 3s, battling it out with one another. This is gonna be a great match," he said out loud.

"Don't be too confident, Kakarot. After all, we may both be on the same level of Super Saiyan 3 now, but remember: I am an elite! I am clearly superior to you!"

"There goes that same old speech again," Goku retorted. "Don't you remember what I told you all those years ago? Even the elite can be surpassed, if one trains hard enough, and just because you're finally on the same level as me doesn't mean I haven't been slouching in _my_ progression."

"Hmph. You're right. You're always training, always getting stronger. But I am the same, Kakarot, and I'm going to prove that my power far exceeds yours, once and for all! Let's go, Kakarot! Show me what you've got!"

And with a nod from his rival, both Vegeta and Goku did not speak another word to one another. They raised their ki up to their highest levels, their auras shining like two glowing lanterns as they both settled themselves in familiar fighting stances. These were the same stances they used when they first fought each for the first time. Back then, their power was thought to be greatly different from one another, but now, and even with Vegeta's bragging, it seemed as though the two were finally in sync with each other's level. Now, all that is left is to see those levels put to the test.

The fight had begun.

Vegeta sprung forward first, going at unimaginable speeds as he sought to drive Goku back with straight punch. Goku intercepted his attack and blocked Vegeta's fist with his forearm, sending shock waves in both their bodies and in the air around them.

"Persistent, aren't you?" Goku commented. "Wasn't I the one to attack first way back when?"

"Enough reminiscing about the past! You should be more focused on the present!" Vegeta barked, retracting his fist and following up with a kick, which Goku managed to dodge. Leaping into the air, Goku watched from below as Vegeta quickly followed him. From there, the two collided and began exchanging a dozen blows of punches and kicks per second. This type of exchange had been had by many warriors of the past, including with Goku and Vegeta respectively and against different opponents, but this exchange was one that was truly equal in terms of power.

Goku and Vegeta effortlessly continued their exchange until Vegeta knocked Goku back with a straight punch to the stomach. Goku flew back several feet, but caught his balance in the air and charged straight back again, aiming a kick at Vegeta's face. The Saiyan prince sidestepped the attack and delivered his own kick to Goku's back, sending him forward towards a couple of pillars. Goku skillfully landed feet first on the structures and somersaulted back to ground level, where he watched Vegeta from above.

"What's wrong, Kakarot?! Are you getting soft on me?!" Vegeta mocked.

"No, I'm just surprised that you're taking it this far already! I can barely follow our own movements!" Goku replied, actually very frazzled by his fellow Saiyan's aggressiveness.

"Oh really... well... think you can follow this?!" Vegeta said, disappearing and reappearing right in Goku's face and punching him straight across the jaw. Goku cried out as he was launched back into the pillars behind him, smashing down and landing hard as he slowly craw led back on his knees. Vegeta walked slowly towards his rival, and as Goku realized his presence, Vegeta had already stuck his hand forward, his palm inches away from Goku's back, and formed a Big Bang Attack in his hand.

"You're outta here!" Vegeta cried, shooting the Big Bang Attack at Goku point-blank as it carried him into the air and brought him back down with a huge crash, kicking up dust as it impacted.

Vegeta smirked and flew over to the small crater that had formed. "My my, someone is not at their top form today. Do you need to take a break, Kakarot? Hahahaha!" Vegeta laughed, his ego fully taking hold of him. Goku simply stood straight up and dusted himself off, much to Vegeta's surprise.

"Well then Vegeta, that was good. I guess maybe I should start taking this seriously."

"Wait, what?" Vegeta sputtered, his ego deflating. "Holding back?"

"Yeah. I wanted to see how strong you've really become since the last time we fought. Don't worry, you've come far.."

"Grr... holding back. You should know by now that holding back doesn't prove anything to you!" Vegeta shouted. "Come on Kakarot! Don't toy with me! I want you at your best!"

"Alright, alright, no need to get upset. Just make sure you can keep up when I show you how far _I've _come," Goku retorted, smirking back to the now gawking Vegeta. However, the Saiyan prince soon recovered his composure, now grinning to himself instead.

"Now you're starting to sound like a true Saiyan warrior. Let's continue! For real this time!" Vegeta yelled. He had remembered how Goku revealed to him in their last fight that he had held back then as well, already possessing the power of the Super Saiyan 3 while he showed himself at a Super Saiyan 2's level.

"Right. No holding back from here on out!" Goku cried out, as he and Vegeta quickly teleported into thin air, reappearing high in the air, as they periodically phased in and out of sight, landing blows and strikes on one another and producing loud booms that echoed through the dry atmosphere. Finally, they caught each midair, each one grabbing each others outstretched fist. Goku and Vegeta grunted as they both thought of the same counter; they both brought their other fists forward, and they both punched each other in the cheek, their blows powerful enough to separate the two and sending them back a few feet. immediately, though, they sped towards one another and began exchanging blows once more. This time, Goku broke the chain by landing two good strikes on Vegeta's face and body and driving him back with a snap kick to the stomach. He then got around to Vegeta's back and brought both his fists up as he hammerfisted Vegeta in the back. The Saiyan Prince cried out as he was sent down towards ground level.

Catching himself and landing only inches from the ground, a frustrated Vegeta looked back at a now smiling Goku. "I think you're the one who's showing he's not in top form now, Vegeta," he uncharacteristically said from above. Vegeta raised his hackles as he sped upwards, Goku meeting him halfway as they both shot their arms forward, with fists colliding evenly and sending a shock wave into the air. More blows and more strikes were exchanged, in what seemed to be the one hundredth time that these two warriors clashed.

The battle had gone on for what seemed like years, but in reality, it was only hours. At this point, Goku and Vegeta proved that they were both evenly matched. With each new blow, each Saiyan warrior continuously one-upped the other, with no end in sight. Both he and Goku were certainly beyond the highest limits of fatigue, though they did not show it nor would any of them would like to admit it. The contest still being contested by the two pure blood Saiyans had already taken a huge toll on their bodies, as they covered with a variety of scratches, bruises, and cuts that caked their entire frames, and their clothes were nearly torn to shreds. Goku's gi was marred to the point where his top shirt was torn clean off his chest, and the right arm of Vegeta's blue bodysuit was also cut off as well, exposing a bit of his bare and injured chest. Still, even with this, the two warriors continued the bout with no plans of stopping any time soon.

Goku and Vegeta were now on ground level, still exchanging blows with one another as the sun began to slowly dip down below the Earth's view. The force of their might spread throughout their battlefield, tiny bits of earth and rock literally detaching themselves from the ground and floating up around the two Saiyans.

"I'm so close, Kakarot! This where it ends! I'm going to defeat you once and for all!" Vegeta proclaimed, still firing away at Goku.

"That's what you said about two hours ago Vegeta! It's not over yet!" Goku talked back, also still in the midst of fighting. Vegeta growled as he and Goku dispersed once more, Vegeta tapping into his best skill and gathering energy into his hands. He then shot out a dozen consecutive energy blasts from his palms. Goku answered back with his own barrage of energy blasts. The two's blasts hit each other directly, each ball of ki sliding into each other. Vegeta proved why he was more proficient in this type of attack as he started to move his arms faster and shot out more energy blasts than Goku could even follow. Goku cut off his own stream of blasts to counter Vegeta's, using one hand to block and redirect each blast away from himself. Vegeta then shot up into the air and fired one more blast, cupping a huge ball of energy the size of a basketball in both hands, raising it high in the air and chucking it straight at Goku. The Earth-raised Saiyan needed two hands to block this particular blast, redirecting it back as it exploded on the ground behind him.

Goku then sped forward and tried to take advantage of the paused momentum, charging straight into Vegeta. His right punch was dodged, however, as Vegeta leaned back and shot both of his legs into Goku, kicking him high into the air. Goku managed to catch himself, but was too slow to avoid Vegeta as he followed him in the air, shot up a few feet above him and brought both of his fists down on his head with a hammerfist. Vegeta sped towards Goku as he fell through the air, only to be shocked as Goku caught his balance once more and delivered a huge roundhouse to Vegeta, sending him back up. This time, Goku followed Vegeta, and sent him careening to the side with a punch to the jaw. Goku followed Vegeta once more and teleported to the spot where Vegeta would eventually stop. His back to his rival, Goku immediately turned around and elbowed Vegeta in the cheek, then furiously landing several more punches and kicks to Vegeta's body, ending his flurry with a kick to the jaw, a knee to his back and a hammerfist to his stomach. The Saiyan Prince hit the ground hard, his ability to recover lost for the moment.

"Grr. Damn you Kakarot!" Vegeta said, gingerly moving to his feet.

"Getting frustrated again, Vegeta? You should learn to ease up. I'm having lots of fun right now," Goku replied, walking towards Vegeta's crater.

"Do you think this is a game? Because it most certainly is not!" Vegeta yelled back, clutching his right arm as he stood up completly. "In fact... I believe that we have battled quite long enough."

"Is that so? Never thought I'd hear those words come out of your mouth, Vegeta," Goku said snidely.

"Hmph. I am only saying this because your fate is sealed. Prepare for one last stand off, Kakarot!" Vegeta barked, wasting no time in powering up and heading back into the sky. Goku was going to follow him, but something held him back; it was a feeling in his stomach that he did not recognize, but know that he had felt before.

Vegeta sat in the air, his body radiating with yellow energy mixed in with a deep red. "I may have failed to best you the last time we entered this struggle, but this time it won't be so easy!" He cried as he cupped his hands together and held them near the side of his head, body turned to the right.

"Oh I see what's going on!" Goku called back, charging up his own energy as he cupped his own hands in front of him and brought them to his side. "Alright, let's see how this goes a second time around! With even more power to boot!"

Both Saiyans were referring to their first battle, where they both fired off their respective techniques, Goku's Kamehameha and Vegeta's Galick Gun. It was a struggle with dire stakes, as Vegeta had threatened to destroy the planet beforehand, prompting Goku to go all with his blast, the same going for Vegeta. That same type of passion was present within these two men even now, even with the Earth not being at stake.

"You got lucky the last time, Kakarot! There is no other option this time except to put up or shut up!" Vegeta barked, acknowledging that Goku, of course, won the struggle, tapping into his Kaioken technique to amplify the Kamehameha and beat Vegeta out.

"No doubt about that," Goku admitted to himself. "And that's why, this time, I'm going to give you the real deal!"

Both fighters felt their cupped hands filled with blazing energy. Goku's shined blue like the streams of a vast ocean, while Vegeta's was colored crimson like the setting sky.

"Galick... " Vegeta said to himself.

"Ka... me... ha.. me..." Goku called back.

In a split second, it seemed, the world seemed to stay still, so that it could better give the two warriors a moment of clarity, to realize what they were about to do was going to rock the very depths of the Earth to its core. It was going to be a huge barrage of energy and power unlike anything seen before!

"GUUUN!" Vegeta screamed, his cupped hands shooting forth and firing off a large crimson version of his signature move, the Galick Gun. It flew towards Goku like a lion pouncing on its prey.

"HAAAAA!" Goku screamed back, firing his own signature move, the Kamehameha, although, a much more powerful and true version of the move, suited to lock horns with Vegeta's Super Saiyan 3 enhanced attack.

The two beams tore across the sky, nearly splitting every trace of atmosphere that got in their ways in half. The two beams eventually met with a boom, light blue meeting dark red and fighting for dominance, much like the relationship of Goku and Vegeta incarnate. Both fighters pushed their muscles as hard as they could, their arms flexing fast to keep the stream of ki that was flowing out of their hands intact and battling against one another. Their clash was like a giant lantern that mixed the two colors of blue and red together to form a mist of purple that glowed onwards and around the mighty collision it stemmed from, filling the mountain scape to a point where the entire battlefield was engulfed in its shine.

"Quit trying already! I've already won! How can you possibly be this strong to keep this up, Kakarot?!" Vegeta questioned. "I am your superior, I always have been! You may been able to one-up me in the past, but I've always found a way to get right back up to your level, and now that game of one-upmanship has finally come to a close! I _am _a Super Saiyan 3, I _am _the Prince of _all _Saiyans, and I! Am! Number! One!"

Goku listened to Vegeta rant, knowing full well that his willingness to be stronger was more natural to him that breathing, and that it has driven him to do all the past actions he has committed ever seen the two met. However, Goku's own pride was telling him that no matter what, he could not let Vegeta get the best of him. After all, the Saiyan prince was right: he _had _found a way to best him at times, and he always found a way to ascend the proverbial power ladder once more. Today would be no different. Goku's entire life was shaped around being strong, and getting stronger with each day, for Goku had a very special reason for wanting to be strong, and it was not shaped around his own Saiyan pride or his almost lustful need to fight.

"Vegeta... I'm sorry... but you keep forgetting something. Something that's been apparent since the beginning!" Goku cried out.

"And just what is that?!" Vegeta barked back.

"The one and true reason why I aim to become stronger... is because I use my strength to protect my loved ones, and the world that I live in! And that's why, Vegeta, I will always rise above you, no matter what you do! I am Son Goku... and I! NEVER! GIVE! UUUUP!" Goku yelled out, his green pupils fading as he poured the very depths of his heart into the Kamehameha wave, skyrocketing the blast even further against Vegeta's Galick Gun, until finally, finally, the blast approached Vegeta himself.

"No! No! No! Damn it all to Hell!" Vegeta cried out, as the Kamehameha blast him dead on, yelling out as the blast engulfed him completely. As soon as it did, Goku ceased his energy blasting, the energy in his hands fading away, as well as the wild Super Saiyan aura that surrounded Goku's body, until the Saiyan pure blood was back to his normal state. He was panting, the stress of the beam struggle putting a heavy toll on his body; as he tried to reset his heart rate, his arms fell back to his side as he breathed in and out to himself. His eyes were fixed on the sky where Vegeta had been in the air; Goku took his eyes off the spot for a few moments, instead looking down on the dirt and rock below; the mountain scape's ground level was still somewhat shaking from the glorious impact of energy that had just happened, as well as the auras of both Goku and Vegeta that radiated throughout the entire world. Goku looked back up to the spot to see that a slow-moving Vegeta was descending from it below, his will still alive enough for him not to drop to the ground in a heap, at least for a few moments, as after reaching the two foot mark from the ground, he let himself fall until he landed on his back, arms and legs sprawled out along the surface.

Goku gingerly lifted his body into the air and floated over to where his rival lay on the ground. It was a familiar sight, as it resembled how Vegeta looked after Goku had finally defeated him in their first encounter. Goku landed near Vegeta's feet, noticing that the proud Saiyan prince was already starting to move, but only able to sit up in a crouch, his body too numb and sore to move any further for the moment.

"Damn... damn it all!" Vegeta said hoarsely through gritted teeth, his hands gripping the ground as dirt and rock filled his fists. "One failure after another! You're... you're just too much! Why is it that-"

"Vegeta," Goku said, causing Vegeta to stop and look up at him in the eye. Goku spoke in a calm yet firm manner resembling a father talking to his son. "Stop beating yourself up already. I mean, come on, does being stronger than me really mean that much to you?"

"Of course it does! How can you even ask that?! Have you no Saiyan pride?! You strive to become the strongest just as much as I do!"

"Well of course I do. We both do. We're the same, you know."

"We are _not _the same! Our pride, that's the only similarity that the both of us even share, because no matter how we have clashed with one another, we both stand and hold our ground until we can win! The differences between you and me are still vast, and the biggest one of all... is that my ambition to become better is _much _greater than yours!"

"Well, you got me there Vegeta. You're exactly right," Goku admitted, his face dropping to a frown. "No matter what, I'm always trying to get stronger. And you're also right in how different we are, because to be honest, I don't really care that much about being the strongest warrior in the universe, at least, if I can help it... but... that's because I have a better reason."

"A better reason? What reason is that?"

"You really don't know at this point? Or have you forgotten? I told it to you when we were still fighting."

Vegeta ceased to respond as he heard a click go off in his mind. He remembered once more to the final battle with Majin Buu, and he remembered the exact thoughts that went through his head...

_Amazing. How do you do it, Kakarot? You've always been like this, ever since the day I first met you; always ready to meet the next challenge, even if it's bigger than you are... It was the same on Namek. You had improved so much that it made Recoome like he was standing still. Your power had increased so dramatically since our battle on Earth that I thought you had done it, I thought that you had become a Super Saiyan! It tore me apart! How could a low-class soldier accomplish so easily what I...I had to struggle my whole life to achieve!? After a thousand years, it has finally happened; a new Super Saiyan has emerged, and, somehow, I have become this pauper's witness. Then at last, it happened. I too transformed. After living every moment of every day for the singular purpose of surpassing you, I finally became a Super Saiyan myself, the Prince had reclaimed his throne and fulfilled his destiny. But no matter how strong I became, your power still exceeded first, I thought it was your loved ones; that it was your instinct to protect them that spurred you on and pushed you beyond your limits. But then I found myself with a family of my own, and my power... didn't increase at all.I used to fight for the sheer of pleasure of it; for the thrill of the hunt, oh I had the strength unmeasurable - I spared no one. And yet, you showed mercy to everyone, even your fiercest enemies, even me! Yet, you never fought to kill, or for revenge. Only to test your limits and to push yourself beyond them, to become the strongest you could possibly be. How can a Saiyan fight like that and at the same time be so gentle that he wouldn't hurt a fly? It makes me angry just thinking about it! But, perhaps it is my anger that has made me blind to the truth for so long. I see it now, this day has made it all too clear. You're better than me Kakarot. You are the best._

Vegeta sighed to himself. "It appears that... I'm back at square one..." the Saiyan prince said as he was now able to stand up completely. "And yes, Kakarot, to answer your question... I know the reason. I've known it for a very long time, ever since we fought Majin Buu together."

"You do?"

"Yes. It was at that point that I realized that you were my better. And from then on, my obsession with trying to become better than you ceased. But..."

"But what, Vegeta?" Goku asked, his curiosity at its highest level.

Vegeta raised his right gloved hand and stared into his palm. "But... this new power. The power of the Super Saiyan 3..." Vegeta started, clenching his hand into a fist. "Once I unlocked his new power, that feeling of wanting to surpass you came back. It was a rush really. I have only recently unlocked this ability, and I wasted no time in making it clear to you as soon as I could.

"Hmm. I could tell that, judging by how fired up you seem to be when we first arrived here, and how determined you were to fight me again."

"I truly believed that this time, I could finally defeat you, that I could finally have the right to call myself 'number one'. But still, I find myself below you, still not strong enough to be your superior..."

"Well, Vegeta, maybe that's your problem."

"What was that?" Vegeta said somewhat hostile, averting his attention away from his fist.

"Vegeta, you said you know why I aim to become stronger. Can you tell me why again?" Goku asked, fully serious, something that did not occur with him unless in times of great peril.

Vegeta set his fist down by his side. "It is because you want to be strong to defend your loved ones, and because you want to push beyond your limits."

"How did you come to realize that?"

"Well, before, I could not realize that. And that is because... because before, my anger at you being so much better than I is what kept me from realizing the truth, and once I stopped being so angry, it become clear."

Goku nodded, agreeing with Vegeta's words to their core. "Right. So you get it now right? After all, you're the same person you were before. You're not trying to take over the galaxies or destroy any planets; you have Bulma now, and Trunks too," Goku said, going as far as to put a hand on Vegeta's shoulder. The Saiyan prince was somewhat distraught at what he was hearing, only because it was such a relevation for him at that point. "I'm the same way. I have Chi-Chi, and Gohan, and Goten. Not to mention that I have friends like Piccolo, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and all the others... including you."

"Me?"

"Well... yeah. Of course. We are friends right?"

Vegeta may have been able to admit that Goku was his better, but saying that he was his friend was an entirely different subject. It was hard for him to even express affection to his own wife and son; he was too much of a hardened warrior to do even that. He was still making an effort to at least respond however, something Goku found amusing.

"Ha-ha! Aw, don't sweat it Vegeta, you don't have to say anything," he assured, scratching the back of his head.

"Grr, shut up!" Vegeta said, turning his back on Goku and crossing his arms in a huff, his right temple bulging from his anger. Goku smiled and reached down to the pouch that had somehow still managed to stay attached to his belt. "Here Vegeta, you're gonna need this," Goku said, tossing a Senzu Bean over to his rival, who effortlessly caught it as it flew over his shoulder. He solemnly ate it as Goku took one out for himself. They both felt their strength replenish and their injuries become much less hard on their bodies.

"Well, it's getting pretty late, and I don't want Chi-Chi to worry about me too much, or worse, get mad at me. I'll see you around Vegeta. Remember what I told ya, alright?"

"Hmph," Vegeta grunted, still holding his firm stance.

"Hmm... Vegeta, you're really strong. And there's no other person I'd rather have as the person who helps me push past my limits than you."

"... As are you, Kakarot..." Vegeta said softly.

"See? We're not so different after all are we?" Goku said with a goofy grin. "Heh. See ya!" Goku said, flying up and out of the rocky landscape.

Vegeta watched from afar as the palm tree haired Saiyan flew off. His face was set in stone, as it always was, but as Goku flew out of sight, the aggressive Saiyan elite let a smirk escape his facial features.

_Kakarot... keep it up... you're number one._

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**AJrax The Author here, and guess what? I'm not dead! XD Nope, I've just been really, really, really busy since the last time I published a story here. It's life, guys. What can you do, right? But still, I'm glad I was able to get this story out, and around the time I posted my last two fics last year. I've been kicking his idea around in my head, among others, for a while, and I realize that it might not be that interesting, given how Battle of Gods came out and all, but still, I wanted to tell this story for the sake of the characters, the action, and the theme, which I hope you guys like. So here's to pumping out more fics in the future, and not just more one-shots either. I really want to try and start a brand new, full story in the future. And finish it too. Fingers crossed. :P**

**- Read And Review, AJrax The Author**


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